Spider-Man and Portal wish they could be Zoomer

Every now and then you run into a game that feels like it’s absolutely brimming with energy. Such is the case with Zoomer by Root Pilot, which looks like if you smashed together a game like The Pathless with Spider-Man action. Its development is off to a roaring start, and thousands of people on Twitter have taken note.

We have cool runners and more in Cool WIP, Polygon’s weekly roundup of eye-catching clips and screenshots of works in progress. Each week, the Polygon staff scours the internet for the most interesting games still under construction to give you a sampler of the coolest up-and-coming projects.

This week we have a game that adds a gun to Spider-Man-like web slinging; a procedural skiing game with a turtle; a manga panel created in Unity; and a game with Miyazaki-esque animations.

Spider-Man finally gets a gun

Root Pilot made it to a previous Cool WIP column, but this new clip of their game Zoomer is a feast for the eyes, for any action lover. In a tweet, they posted a clip that showed off a mechanic the developer originally designed for Portal-style puzzles. However, in the video we see the main character shoot a bullet that creates a pathway the character can ride up, which combines with web slinging for incredibly smooth platforming. The game is bursting with energy, and you can check out regular updates on Root Pilot’s Twitter.

A manga created in Unity

Developer Fabio Consorti rendered a scene in Unity to make it look like a manga panel. It’s just a city street lined with business signs and lanterns, but it’s beautifully created. A clip showed the shifting shadows in reaction to a moving light source. Consorti is also working on a neon action-racing game, so if you’d like to check out more of the developer’s work, you can on Consorti’s Twitter account.

A stunningly animated scene

Drop everything and check out Bioid from developer Pagurus. This black-and-white puzzle game pairs captivating Miyazaki-esque animations with a world filled with intriguing creatures and curiosities. A clip from the developer shows the transformation for “King of Thorns,” in which a plant-like creature morphs into a monster that resembles No Face from Spirited Away. The world of Bioid looks like an absolute delight, and you can check out more information about the game on its Steam page.

Elden Ring fan art

Generally speaking, I think about drawings of my favorite characters when I use the term “fan art.” However, developer Asher Zhu brings a whole new level of dedication to the idea by creating an entire 3D animation as an ode to FromSoftware’s Elden Ring. In a clip on Zhu’s Twitter account, you can see an animation of a character using a giant flame blade, inspired by the Frenzied Flame Seal in Elden Ring. Zhu posts regularly about game development and is also making a slime game, and you can check out more of his work on Twitter.

Yeet this downhill skiing turtle into the sky

I first saw downhill skiing game Bunny Hill on TikTok. Don’t let its name deceive you — this low-poly downhill skiing game looks like pure chaos. According to developer Dogma Quest, it’s a procedurally generated downhill skiing game and allows you to play as high-flying animals. The game is out now and available on Steam.